The Devil's Children

It's been about well, six years since I met him, and now that we've gotten to better know each other, I feel a greater appreciation for this demon child. Alois has both saved my life and been saved by me on several occasions; now however, as we go into high school together, along with my other friend who's a vampire, things seem to be changing around town. I worry as to what will happen as i approach the anniversary of my meeting this Boy who ate a soul. (Sequel to "The Boy Who Ate a Soul")

6. Dark Discovery: Birth of an Exorcist

As Allen carefully towed his younger brother up the stairs to Alois' room, he suddenly turned to warn his brother once more, as he'd done for the past for days. His eyes were lacking their usual color and vibrance, telling Michael that he'd better listen, lest he thrown up against a wall again.

"Again, if you tell anybody, I'll kill you myself," he whispered to his younger brother, an undertone of the most sinister variety coating his words. Michael just nodded in acknowledgement as the brothers stepped through the door into the dim lit world that was the demon boy's dwelling. "Now, keep quiet and take off your shoes, you'll make too much noise otherwise."

"Uh, okay," he replied in simple compliance, removing his shoes and placing them by the door. Allen closed the door carefully behind them as they moved towards Alois' bed. Stepping carefully, the two shadows in the dark crept ever closer to their prey, a sleeping child.

"Ah, my sweet friend," Allen quietly thought aloud, "How I long to just hold you as you lay now..." Alois lay before them entangled in the white sheets of the bed, giving the boy an almost angelic appearance. He was shirtless again and his moderately toned body was absolutely intoxicating to Allen. His hair lay all a mess, covering his face partially.

"If we're here to solely stare at your friend's sleeping self, then I'm gone," Michael hissed under his breath. Allen put his hand on his brother's shoulder, smiling devilishly. He handed him an air horn and instructed him to push down on the horn when he gave the signal.

"This will teach you to fall asleep in the middle of the day when I'm home," Allen smirked as he kissed his friend lightly on the shoulder. "Now!" he whispered a slight bit louder. And, as instructed, Michael blew the horn, and, as Allen expected, Alois shot awake and having been startled, he flew off the bed and into his bureau.

"Wha... what the hell was that!?" he stammered out of shock, tripping and falling as he stood up, having still been tangled in the sheets. "Ow, dammit!" he moaned as he fell. Looking up he beheld quite the unexpected; his partner lay on the floor, laughing up a storm and Michael, sweet Michael holding a can with a horn attached to it. "Michael, what did you, why did you?" he questioned with a false tone of sadness in his voice as he stood up an unraveled himself from the sheets.

"I'm... I'm," but before he could run away, Alois was upon him, grasping one of the young boy's arms tightly while snatching Michael's chin with his other hand. "Alois, I'm sorry, please...." Fear manifested itself inside the boy as he starred into the cold, hardened eyes of the older youth. "Please... don't hurt me, I'm sorry.." he whimpered in a pathetic manner.

"Oh Mike," Alois hummed, holding the boy in a hug, "I could never hold you in contempt, despite what an idiotic crime you've committed on behalf of your brother." Taking the can from the boy, he placed it on the nightstand, and the saddened child on his bed. "I forgive you. However," he looked over at his laughing counterpart, "Naughty boys deserve to be punished, don't you agree?" he smiled at Michael as he grabbed onto Allen and held him in a death grip.

"Ack, Alois... what are you...?" Allen struggled as he was clamped into a death grip of the demon boy's design. He looked up into his partner's eyes which were flaring crimson. "Alois... no, not now, not with Michael in the room!" His pleas fell silent as Alois bit into his neck, causing Allen's eyes to change and Michael to shriek in fear.

"Alois.... Why are you...!?" Michael continued to shriek, his voice becoming terribly shrill. Alois just looked up, carried Allen to the bed and dumped him next to his brother. Smiling with blood still on his mouth he answered the boy.

"It's alright, Michael," he cooed, holding the shaking child, "Your brother is fine, we do this all the time."

"All the time!?" he whimpered, "What the fuck are you!?" He cried out of terror, looking into the hypnotic eyes of the demon child. He suddenly felt a calming sensation washing over him. However, he kept his wits about him, he was afraid of how Alois would answer.

"I'm a demon, Michael," Alois replied, rocking the child slowly in his embrace, "Your brother and I are in a contract with each other, I protect him, and the family in exchange for his blood-"

"And if need be, his soul?" Michael whispered, looking up he smiled as he snatched the crucifix that hung around the boy's neck. Alois immediately froze in terror. He knew that Michael, as sweet as he was, he could kill him right here, and not out of Malice; but instead out of fear. Not even being able to utter a word of confidence, Alois fell to the ground as Michael pressed the crucifix into the boy's chest.

"AARRGGHH!" Alois wailed in pain, "Michael! Please stop!" he shrieked out of pain and fear. The cold crucifix instead, was shoved deeper into him. "Please.....! Michael, I'm not a bad person, please don't..." He couldn't believe that the word was about to escape his mouth, but it did. "PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!!!" Alois screamed in insurmountable pain and torment, his tears ran red as cried and pleaded with the child to stop. Suddenly, the pain had stopped as he opened his eyes he saw Allen, fully enraged, holding Michael by the shoulders against the wall.

"How dare you hurt him!" Allen snapped at his brother, "I have the right mind to beat you senseless!" he screamed at his brother, who was now balling in fear at the whole situation.

"Allen! Control yourself!" Alois screamed at his partner. The yell seemed to jolt Allen to his senses as he dropped the boy who aptly fled not only the room, but fled the house, running into town to the only place he could find peace; the church.

********************

Some time had passed and Father Cornell had managed to talk some sense into the two children in his care so that he could safely talk to them again. As he laid Ally down for a nap, seeing as though she had exhausted herself by screaming at him over the past few days when there was Christoph at the door telling the Father that one of Allen's brothers was in his office in tears. He therefore hurried down the stairs to his office as he knew that if one of the brothers was upset and had come to him then something had happened of major importance.

"Michael, why are you crying, little one?" Father Cornell inquired as he shut the door to his office and sat down beside the emotionally disturbed child.

"Dear child, nothing you say will make this old man think you're crazy," he smiled as he patted the child lightly on the head. "Now, please, tell me what has so upset you?" When he leaned in close to the young child, he inhaled a familiar odor; demon's musk, a common scent that all forms of demons produce, much similar to common body odor of humans, just instead for demons.

"I think Alois is a demon, and..." he started to hiccup on his own words. The Father had to take the time to calm him before he could continue. "I think Alois is a demon... and my brother, Allen, is possessed by him." The Father grew grim.

"Yes, my child, I am aware of Alois' disposition in life... and, of your brother's..." he looked at the younger Hughes brother with a caring but serious glance. "I think it's time you learned the truth behind the veil you've been living behind, Michael..."

Some time had passed since the Father started to unravel the world that Michael thought he knew so well. Eventually, his face became expressionless as he absorbed the information being presented to him.

"So..." Cornell inhaled, "I'm sorry that I had to lie to you, but most of the general population wouldn't react positively if they knew that such things actually did exist." He looked at the child, who returned the gesture with an equally serious expression.

"Father," Michael spoke in an even manner, "I want to protect my family, I want to rid the world of this foul plague that is evil in and amongst humanity.... Take me on as an apprentice."

"Child, are you suggesting?"

"I want to be an exorcist," he responded, his eyes flaring an incredible fiery blue. The Father recognized that flare; it was a flare of stubborn determination, and the spirit of an exorcist that was beginning to awaken. The Father stood and directed the young boy to do so as well.

"It will be rigorous training, you may not make it back in one piece," he murmured.

"I don't care, I want my brother back, I want to protect my family, I want to serve...." he answered in a stern, persistent manner.

"You may not come back from this, that in mind, do you still want to go through with this?"

"You won't scare me away, I accept," he answered in a flat calm. The Father smiled as Michael's eyes burned brighter. He handed the boy a key to a room on the second floor and an old dusty bible

"I'll see to the arrangements, your training will start tomorrow," he smiled, "My young exorcist to be...." As Michael moved up the stairs, The Father moved out into the hall, a smile of encouragement and energy strung across his face. Moving towards his chambers, he picked up the phone and called up the Hughes household. "A dark discovery by an innocent child, the result, the birth of an exorcist.... how interesting...."